Jump to content

servile

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary

English

[edit]

Etymology

[edit]

From Middle English servyle, from Old French servil, servile, from Latin servīlis, from servus (slave).

Pronunciation

[edit]

Adjective

[edit]

servile (comparative more servile, superlative most servile)

  1. Excessively eager to please; obsequious.
    • 2021, Ed Vulliamy, The Guardian[1]:
      British “subjects” (not citizens, note) are just that: gleefully servile to the monarchy’s institutionalised inequality...
  2. Slavish or submissive.
    Synonym: abject
    Antonyms: arrogant, authoritarian
    servile flattery    servile obedience
    1. Of or pertaining to a slave.
  3. (grammar) Not belonging to the original root.
    a servile letter
  4. (grammar) Not sounded, but serving to lengthen the preceding vowel, like the e in tune.

Derived terms

[edit]
[edit]

Translations

[edit]

Noun

[edit]

servile (plural serviles)

  1. (grammar) An element which forms no part of the original root.
  2. A slave; a menial.

Antonyms

[edit]

Anagrams

[edit]

French

[edit]

Etymology

[edit]

Borrowed from Latin servīlis.

Pronunciation

[edit]

Adjective

[edit]

servile (plural serviles)

  1. servile, slavish, subservient
[edit]

Further reading

[edit]

Anagrams

[edit]

Italian

[edit]

Etymology

[edit]

From Latin servīlis.

Pronunciation

[edit]
  • IPA(key): /serˈvi.le/
  • Rhymes: -ile
  • Hyphenation: ser‧vì‧le

Adjective

[edit]

servile (plural servili)

  1. servile

Derived terms

[edit]
[edit]

Latin

[edit]

Pronunciation

[edit]

Adjective

[edit]

servīle

  1. nominative/accusative/vocative neuter singular of servīlis

See also

[edit]

Middle English

[edit]

Adjective

[edit]

servile

  1. Alternative form of servyle

Spanish

[edit]

Verb

[edit]

servile

  1. second-person singular voseo imperative of servir combined with le